Construction materials testing
Blaine Air Permeability Apparatus
Measures the fineness of cement as specific surface area (m²/kg) by timing how long a fixed volume of air takes to pass through a compacted bed of cement.
- Cement manufacturing
- Construction materials testing
- Fly ash and slag suppliers
- Academic labs
TROUBLESHOOTING
Common problems, causes and fixes
Flow times much longer than expected
Likely causes
- • Bed over-compacted or too much sample
- • Blocked perforated disc
- • Wrong filter paper
What to do
- • Recalculate and reweigh the sample
- • Clean the disc
- • Use the specified filter paper
Flow times very short
Likely causes
- • Air leak at the seal
- • Too little sample
- • Bed cracked or channelled
What to do
- • Reseat or replace the seal
- • Check the calculation
- • Re-form the bed
Results drift over months on a control cement
Likely causes
- • Manometer liquid evaporated or contaminated
- • Plunger worn
- • Temperature differs from calibration
What to do
- • Refill to the mark
- • Re-determine the constant
- • Apply a temperature correction or control room temperature
Duplicate times differ widely
Likely causes
- • Inconsistent bed preparation
- • Operator timing error
What to do
- • Standardise compaction technique
- • Use an automatic timing unit
In LimsPulse · Calibration Management
Keep every Blaine in control: usage logs, calibration and maintenance schedules, and automatic blocking of overdue instruments.